Staff Resources

The purpose of the HR Strategic Plan is to build a school-wide human resources team and infrastructure to support HR functions for staff and casual-restricted student employees in the six departments, two institutes, and two centers in the School of Arts and Humanities. The goals of the Strategic Plan are to relieve workload for the units in the School, provide better services to CAOs and staff members, provide coverage in case of turnover, document and streamline processes, and manage compliance as required by campus.

The HR Pilot is the plan to incorporate each unit into the workload of the HR team in the School of Arts and Humanities Dean’s Office on a staggered schedule in order to focus on the needs of each unit during the transition.

Currently, the following units are supported by the HR team: Dean’s Office, Center for Taiwan Studies, Institute for Practical Ethics, Literature, Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, and Visual Arts.

In the future and in consultation with each area’s leadership team, the remaining units will be incorporated into the HR team’s workload: Analytical Writing Program, History, Institute of Arts and Humanities, Music, Philosophy, Theatre & Dance.  

Departments and units will continue to be responsible for processes related to their academic employees and graduate student employees.

For strategic and organizational planning, all CAOs should continue to contact Alma Palazzolo, Assistant Dean of Resource Administration, apalazzolo@ucsd.edu. 

The HR team currently supports the following functions:

• Recruitments (career, contract, limited)
• Onboarding
• Classification and Compensation (including equities and stipends)
• Leaves of Absence
• Employee Reduction in Time (ERIT)
• Terminations (Transfers, Voluntary/Involuntary, Retirements)
• Casual-Restricted Student Employees
• Compliance Reporting
• UCPath transactions related to the above tasks

See drawers below for more detailed information about certain functions.

• Ecotime & Timekeeping
• Mandatory notice postings in department spaces
• Performance Management
• Personnel File retention
• Postdoctoral Scholar appointments
• Service Credit Awards and Pins
• Staff Performance Appraisal
• STAR Awards
• Visiting Graduate Student appointments
• Visiting Scholar appointments

Although the HR team does not directly support the functions listed above, they are available to provide guidance and support as needed and during periods of staff turnover in the units.

1. If this is a new position or if the duties have changed significantly since previously classified, it will have to be classified. You will need to have the following items ready to classify the position:
   1. Completed Job Description
   2. Current and proposed organization chart
   3. Reason for classification
2. HR team will submit the requisition in HireOnline and will need the following information from the unit:
   1. Job Description #
   2. Supervisor Name
   3. Desired Start Date
   4. Work Location, Work Hours Per Day, and Work Days
   5. Recruitment Type
   6. Budgeted Salary Range
   7. Cover Letter required (yes/no)
   8. Questionnaire (yes/no)
   9. Posting Period
   10. Screening Criteria
   11. Search committee names (minimum 3)
3. HR team will review information and contact the unit if more information is needed. HR team will submit the requisition.
4. Once the Talent Advisor begins to refer applicants, HR team will create a Google folder where the search committee can view applications and screen the candidates.
5. HR team will poll search committee for interview dates and then reach out to the selected candidates for interviews.
6. Unit will inform HR team of their selection and will need to provide the following information:
   1. Start Date and End Date (if applicable)
   2. Salary (or range for negotiation)
7. If requested, HR team will reach out to finalist to make a verbal offer and explain next steps in process.
8. If requested, HR team will conduct reference checks, request SPAs (if internal candidate), and relay results to the CAO or supervisor.
9. HR team will submit hire approval in HireOnline and send offer letter once approved.
10. Following finalist’s acceptance of offer, HR team will transition to onboarding process.

The process outlined below applies to all staff types (career, contract, limited)

1. CAO or hiring manager sends offer letter to new employee with a CC to HR team.
2. New employee accepts offer letter.
3. HR team contacts new employee to inform them of background check process.
4. HR team submits background check request.
5. If background check clears, HR team contacts new employee to verify personal information and discuss next steps.
6. HR team initiates Onboarding Solution process with verified personal information.
7. New employee completes required paperwork in Onboarding Solution.
8. HR team submits UCPath hire transaction and funding entry as appropriate.
9. CAO or delegate approves UCPath hire transaction and funding entry.
10. UCPath processes hire template.
11. New employee completes Tracker I-9 Section 1.
12. HR team updates Onboarding Solution for IT to create email and AD.
13. HR team updates Onboarding Solution with email and AD.
14. Onboarding Solution automatically sends Welcome Letter to new employee.
15. Prior to first day of work, HR team emails department-specific Welcome Email to new employee.
16. On first day of work, HR team and new employee complete Oath (if applicable) and Tracker I-9 Section 2 using the Witness Ceremony in Onboarding Solution.
17. HR team provides CAO with personnel file for new employee.

Every leave situation is unique. The HR team is available to provide guidance to CAOs and employees about eligibility, leave options, and pay options for any potential leave of absence.

In general, the HR team will manage the following tasks:

1. Determine leave eligibility for employee and meet with them to provide information about their options, including impacts to pay and benefits.
2. Complete all required paperwork for any type of leave, whether it is FML (FMLA/CFRA/PDLL), Supplemental FML, or another type.
3. Complete UCPath transactions as necessary.
4. Provide required benefits forms and information as needed.
5. Follow up with employee during duration of leave.
6. Confirm employee’s return to work date and complete UCPath transaction.

The process for each type of termination varies. In general, the HR team will manage the following tasks:

1. Confirm final day of work of employee.
2. Process termination transaction in UCPath.
3. Process final pay and accruals payout transaction in UCPath. 
4. Provide general off-boarding information to employee (e.g. COBRA).

Departments are responsible for the return of keys, corporate cards, laptops, equipment, etc.

Please note:

• Per campus policy, all student employees must successfully complete a background check prior to beginning any work
• The total recruitment process takes approximately 3-4 weeks to complete

1. Unit (CAO or faculty) contacts HR team to initiate recruitment and hiring process.
2. HR team will gather information and submit Handshake recruitment for approval.
   1. If applicable, HR team will gather information for Exception Request.
   2. Information for Exception Request:
      1. Student’s full name
      2. Student’s PID
      3. Paragraph explaining the particular skills, knowledge, and abilities that justify an exception to an open recruitment.
      4. Brief description of job duties
3. HR team will collect applications and provide them to hiring manager.
4. Hiring manager interviews applicants (if required) and makes hiring decision(s).
5. Hiring manager provides names of candidates to be hired to HR team.
6. HR team contacts new employee to inform them of background check process.
7. HR team submits background check request.
8. If background check clears, HR team contacts new employee to verify personal information and discuss next steps.
9. HR team initiates Onboarding Solution process with verified personal information.
10. HR team submits UCPath hire transaction and funding entry as appropriate.
11. CAO or delegate approves hire and funding.
12. HR team completes Onboarding Solution process on new employee’s first day of work.
13. HR team sends department-specific Welcome Email to new employee.
14. HR team closes Onboarding Solution record.
15. HR team provides quarterly updates to confirm continued employment of employees.
16. HR team will terminate employees as needed.

At the request of the CAO, the HR team will run the following reports for staff and casual-restricted student employees and provide follow ups as needed:

• Default Day Report Tracking (monthly)
• Jobs With Approaching End Dates (monthly)
• UC Learning Center - Required Training (monthly)
  - CANRA
  - Clery Act Training for Campus Security Authorities (CSAs)
  - General Compliance Briefing: UC Ethical Values and Conduct
  - UC Ethics and Compliance Briefing for Researchers
  - UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Non-Supervisors
  - UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention for Supervisors, Faculty, and MSP
  - UC Cyber Security Awareness Fundamentals
• Patent and Oath Acknowledgements (quarterly)
• Student Employee Registration (quarterly)